11 Things AT&T’s "You Will" Ad Campaign Got Right About The Future

AT&T “You Will”: 1993-1994

The “You Will” commercials were directed by David Fincher (who would go on to direct Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and narrated by Tom Selleck. They were an amazing look at what the future could bring us — with then-impossible technology.

Each commercial featured a futuristic scenario and posed the question, “Have you ever…” and ended with “You will.”

1. eBooks

The futuristic scenario: “Have you ever borrowed a book from thousands of miles away?”

How it got it right: In 1993, the internet was in still in its infancy, so the concept of reading a library book from anywhere in the world was, well…very futuristic. Today you can legally borrow books from libraries around the world or use services like Google Books, Kindle, and Nook.

4. Email, tablets, and Wi-Fi

How it got it right: Well, this one was slightly off due to the technology that was available at the time (email didn’t exist in the form we know it today), but it got the concept right. Sending a message over a touchscreen tablet — one that’s connected through Wi-Fi.